


Am I Not Merciful?

by Sonata_IX



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Invasion, Romance, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2018-04-04 07:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4129101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonata_IX/pseuds/Sonata_IX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An evil Warlord takes over the castle and demands to be named king. Jareth escapes to Earth and Sarah but loses his memory in the process.</p>
<p>First published on FF.net, Nov 6, 2001.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I claim Gorbath and all of his army. The rest is just wishful thinking.

The Labyrinth. It is an amazing thing from any viewpoint.

But in the morning when the sun rises, brilliant, scarlet rays illuminate its jigsaw of passages. It is truly glorious. No earthly visage could ever hope to match the beauty of the sparkling walls that surround the goblin city. And beyond the city a great castle stands, a castle made all the more imposing by the simple huts surrounding it. It is a place of power and of mystery. In the red light, it appears to be bathed in blood.

And within the castle lives a doomed man of inhuman elegance, a man who has touched the dreams of so many, and yet is fated to spend eternity with the ashes of failed love, destroyed by a curse of his own making. He sits alone, a roaring fire in the hearth, eyes staring into the flames but face emotionless. He is lost in tortured memories, unaware of the passage of time, unaware even of what transpires in his own throne room.

The shadows are alive. They creep along the edges of the light, dropping into crevices and silently leaping through doorways. They navigate the Labyrinth with studied ease and slip swiftly through the city without a sound. By the time they enter the castle, they have begun to coalesce into forms. There is the jingle of metal, the clatter of armor, the careful tapping of creeping feet on the stone floor. An entire army of shadow warriors, holding the castle without lifting a finger. It might have been called a peaceful conquest...but for Gorbath of Baccha.

The supreme commander of the shadow warriors, it was Gorbath who led his army into the throne room expecting to find the Goblin King. Instead, he found hordes of goblins sprawled across the room, piled on top of each other, sleeping contentedly in their own filth. It was Gorbath of Baccha who ordered the massacre. It was Gorbath who slit the first throat of a goblin too drunk to protest.

And when there was no one left to kill, he sent his army to search the castle and find the Goblin King. After losing several dozen men in a room of stairs, a deputy commander finally found a hidden door. Gathering the rest of his soldiers, a group of two hundred or so, the deputy charged through the door.

So lost in his memories was the Goblin King that it was several moments before he even realized that someone was trespassing in his private chambers. By then, it was too late. He only had time to turn and realize that the invaders were not his subjects before half a dozen warriors seized him. He did not resist; there was no point. Mere soldiers could not harm the Goblin King, ruler of the Underground and sole possessor of all its magic. Manacled, he was taken to his own throne room. Only when he saw the slaughter there did he begin to realize the seriousness of the situation.

The Warlord entered. He was a strong man, a dark man, and he met the king on equal terms. He spoke in a voice that was deep and sour. "I am death and decay and all that is evil. I am Gorbath of Baccha." A simple introduction and for a moment the two  
faced each other not as rivals but as nobles. Then the moment passed and the Warlord sneered, reaching towards the Goblin King. He appeared to be reaching for the king's neck but his hand grasped something on his chest instead. His grip tightened as he lifted the object.

"The medallion, the key to all the power in the land." He pulled on the cord and it tightened around the Goblin King's throat. He leaned closer. "Name me ruler of the Underground." There was no response, but the Warlord did not really expect one. He released the medallion abruptly and slammed his fist against the king's jaw. Unprepared and off balance from the heavy manacles the king stumbled, but the warriors caught him. The Warlord approached, hit him again, but still the Goblin King made no sound.

He was aware of the danger now. The Labyrinth was linked to its ruler. The Warlord couldn't kill him, but he could bring about the destruction of the Labyrinth by hurting the one who controlled it. With the Labyrinth gone, the Warlord would be able to summon the rest of his forces, those without the shadow warriors' knack of traversing the great maze. But it was too late for defense. Surrounded by an enemy army with the Warlord himself demanding to be named ruler and the goblins massacred, the Goblin King had only one choice. Retreat.

The Warlord's fist connected with his jaw. He ignored the pain, thinking only of how to escape. The next blow hit his temple, causing his vision to blur. As his eyes focused, he saw that the Warlord's attention had been diverted. A young soldier, probably of little importance, delivering a message. It was a chance, possible his only one, and he took it without thought.

The Warlord turned back in time to see the Goblin King's form dissolve into a small bird. He leapt towards it but it nimbly avoided the attack and slipped gracefully out the window. Face blotchy with anger, the Warlord roared to his army.

"Send riders. Arm them with crossbows. He must not escape." Moments later, the castle doors were flung open and dozens of men on horseback trampled through the city in pursuit of the white owl. City dwellers gaped at the scene. Until then, no one knew the castle had been seized.

The owl darted through the Labyrinth, sometimes flying along its narrow passages, sometimes gliding high above, but the riders were well trained. He found himself dodging crossbow bolts, losing speed in his effort to avoid them. He couldn't fly forever; he had to find a safe haven, someplace the Warlord would never think of looking.

Sarah. Her name was like a bell in his thoughts. He would go to Earth, a place the Warlord might not even know existed. He could find Sarah. Even if she would never help him, she would defend the Labyrinth for her friends' sakes. He remembered how beautiful she looked when they danced.

It was a split second of distraction, but it was enough. Blinding pain ripped through him. It was suddenly difficult to keep aloft. He had to escape, had to go now, before it was too late. Several crossbow bolts whizzed towards him. He could see them coming, but couldn't react. He thought of Earth, of Sarah, willed himself there.

The riders paused in confusion as their prey suddenly vanished, the bolts shot moments ago passing through the space where he had been and falling harmlessly to the ground. The horses shifted their feet nervously and the soldiers exchanged grim looks. The Warlord would not be happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight filtered through the gauzy white curtains, surrounding the sleeping girl in a halo of pale light, making her peaceful face look so beautiful she almost seemed an angel. As the light shifted, she stirred, stretching slowly before climbing leisurely out of bed. Yawning, she gracefully positioned herself before her mirror and reached for her hairbrush. Humming lightly, the girl ran the comb through her long dark hair. A strange shadow on the mirror drew her eyes towards the reflection of the window.

Gasping in shock, she whirled around. The normally clean window pane had a long red streak down the middle. Brush still clutched in her hand, she approached slowly, pushing open the window and glancing down. The brush clattered to the floor. Lying on the lawn was an ugly mess of blood and white feathers.

It was a sort of morbid curiosity that led her outside after breakfast. The bird looked even worse up close. There was something dark sticking out of its side. Leaning closer, she saw that it was some kind of dart or arrow. A sense of sorrow overwhelmed the girl. She had always had a special place in her heart for owls, especially white ones. Gently, she reached out to touch the bird lightly with her fingertips. Her eyes widened in surprise. The bird was warm, still alive.

The girl hesitated indecisively. She looked up at the clear blue sky. So many memories. It had been nearly ten years. Her parents had died in a car accident two years ago and she had inherited their house, dropping out of acting school to become her brother's guardian. How long had it been since she'd had a chance to dream?

Carefully, she scooped the owl up, cradling it in her arms as she carried it into the house. Walking into the living room, she grabbed an old blanket and stretched it over the couch before placing the owl on it. She stepped back slowly, as if expecting the bird to wake up and fly away. After a moment, she turned and hurried into the kitchen, hoping to find some first aid supplies.

Returning with a handful of bandages and cremes, she stopped in shock. Where the owl had been was now the figure of a man. Unable to move, she could only stare. The wild blond hair, the exotic style of dress, he was exactly as she remembered, unchanged in every way, except for the wound in his thigh. The sight of the jagged incision broke the spell and she moved forward, trying to examine the wound without touching it.

The metal object in his leg would have to be pulled out, she knew. She touched it gingerly and glanced quickly at the man's face. There was no reaction, but she noticed for the first time how very pale he was and how shallow his breathing was. Something horrible must have happened, she knew, for him to be so terribly hurt.

Wrapping her hands around the object, she gave a gentle tug but nothing happened. Pulling harder, she found the same thing; she couldn't remove it. Finally, she stood and braced her feet. She yanked sharply, knocking herself over backwards with a twisted crossbow bolt in her hands. The man on the couch groaned in pain. Instantly, she rose and moved to his side, but he was still unconscious.

He slept for most of the day while the girl cleaned his leg and bandaged the ugly wound. Then she sat and simply looked at him. She hadn't known what to expect when she saw him again, anger, sorrow, maybe even hatred. But she felt none of those, only a strange fear that he might die. Lost in thought, she wandered away to eat something; she had been caring for him all morning. When she returned, the man seemed to be breathing more easily, but his face was still very pale. She unwrapped the wound, wondering if she should put a new bandage on it.

She stared at his leg in amazement. The ugly hole was gone, replaced by a hair thin, star shaped scar. At that moment, the man stirred and she moved closer to watch his face. His eyes twitched and then opened. The mismatched gaze traveled uncertainly around the room and then slowly focused on the girl's face. She bit her lip nervously as he looked at her.

The man's hand rose, trembling with fatigue, to stroke her face. "Sarah," he whispered in a hoarse voice. Swallowing, she took his hand in hers.

"It's been a long time, Jareth." For an instant, she thought he was going to smile at her in that familiar mocking smirk, but a shadow crossed his face and his eyes seemed to dim. Concerned, she helped him as he tried to sit up. Leaning heavily on her shoulder, he pulled himself up on the couch and again gazed around in confusion.

"Sarah?" he asked, a hint of fear in his powerful voice. A chill ran down her spine. What was so great that the Goblin King would be afraid?

"Yes?"

"Who are you?" Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. Surely he didn't mean...

She caught his eyes with hers, held them there. "You know who I am, Jareth. We met ten years ago. You remember, right?" He stared at her for a long moment, strange shadows swirling in his eyes. Then he slowly shook his head.

"No." She frowned at him.

"What do you mean, no? I remember it very clearly." She emphasized the word 'remember' slightly. He caught her infliction, bowed his head silently.

"But I don't." His voice was low, almost a whisper.

"Jareth?" He raised his head, eyes blazing.

"Who is Jareth? Don't you understand? That name doesn't mean anything to me!" Abruptly, he swayed, falling back onto the cushions. "What's happened to me?" he murmured, more to himself than to Sarah. She watched him with mingled surprise and alarm.

"Sometimes," she began tentatively, "when people are seriously injured, they forget who they are for a while." Jareth raised an eyebrow in question and she pointed to the scar on his leg. "You lost a lot of blood, but it healed very quickly. Maybe you'll get your memory back soon, too."

He looked examined the scar carefully before looking back at Sarah, a small smile of apology on his face. It surprised her, seeing such a kind expression on the face of one whose customary expression was a frown or a smirk.

"Perhaps you're right. And you know me. You will help me, won't you?" He smiled at her hopefully and she smiled back without thinking, but her thoughts were troubled. This man had taken her brother from her years ago and now she was expected to help him? She wasn't sure if she wanted him to remember all of the troubles of the past. There was a light in his eyes that she had never seen before, as if all of his evil deeds had fallen away from him, giving him a second chance at a good life. Her mind wandered as she saw the warm smile on his lips and she remembered seeing that smile before, when they were dancing. She wondered if he would sing for her.

Sarah jerked herself out of her memories. Whatever happened in the future would happen, but she would not mention anything about Jareth's past unless he specifically spoke of it, she decided. Most people recovered their memories after accidents, but she was going to use the time she had to let Jareth enjoy life. He had always been in such pain before.

Smiling, she took his hand. "Let me show you where the guest room is." If luck was on her side, he would never think of the Labyrinth again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where is the Goblin King?"

The shaggy white dog peered fearfully at the twisted creature sitting on Jareth's throne. He trembled. Then his teeth began to chatter in terror. The Warlord raised an eyebrow at the animal, apparently trying to decide if he should be amused or annoyed.

"Stop that at once, Ambrosius!" The small fox standing beside the dog lowered his spear and rapped his steed sharply on the nose. Ambrosius whined at the sting and his teeth stopped chattering. However, he continued to tremble. Didymus sighed and then jumped as the Warlord slammed his fist against the arm of the throne.

"Answer the question!" He demanded. "And do not try to lie!" Didymus swallowed nervously and drew himself up to his full, yet still unimposing, height.

"Your Majesty," he began grandly, "I, Sir Didymus, have sworn my allegiance to the ruler of the Underground. And since thou dost appear to be ruler now, I can truthfully say that the Goblin King is in his throne room at this very moment!" Didymus nodded his head in satisfaction. A few of Gorbath's guards looked around uncertainly, but the Warlord only sighed at the fox's stupidity.

"No, no, no," he growled. "Where is that pitiful coward Jareth, the, ah...former Goblin King?" Gorbath smiled condescendingly, stroking his chin absently as he waited for Didymus to answer. The fox frowned in confusion for a moment and then his face brightened.

"Ah, your Majesty, if thou dost not know the former king's whereabouts and thou art truly the Goblin King, then I must say that there is only one possible solution." The Warlord leaned forward eagerly.

"And that would be?" he prompted.

"He must have left the Underground." Didymus again nodded proudly, not noticing the mystified expressions of those around him. "My task here is complete, your Majesty." The fox bowed and climbed into his saddle, saluting the Warlord with his spear. Gorbath's face was frozen in a mask of shock, but only momentarily. Then it darkened into a murderous glare.

"He must have WHAT?!" He roared at the two creatures before him. That was the last straw for Ambrosius and he bolted for the door without a backward glance. Unfortunately, Didymus hadn't been expecting such a flying start and the poor fox was nearly jerked from the saddle before he caught himself. He clung to his steed with one hand, the other waving the spear madly as he called for Ambrosius to slow down. Someone darted forward to block their escape but Didymus's wildly flapping spear smacked him in the face, barely missing his eye and leaving a long red scratch.

"Guards!" Gorbath roared. "Stop them! I need more answers!" His face had turned a dark purple in rage but he forced himself to settle back in the throne and wait for the guards to return. After a few minutes, he shifted impatiently. After ten minutes, he was about to yell for the guards again when a soldier marched into the room, bowing low to the Warlord. Gorbath frowned when he saw the red marks on the man's face.

"Speak," he commanded. The soldier immediately kneeled before his king.

"Forgive us, your Majesty, but the fox and the dog have escaped."

"WHAT?!" Gorbath roared, more in surprise than anything else but the soldier flinched as if expecting a blow. "How?" the Warlord demanded. The soldier bowed even lower and his face turned red with humiliation and shame but he refused to speak. He couldn't tell his king that a creature that had been merely waving a spear hysterically while trying to calm his dog had defeated the guards.

When it became clear that he would get no response from the guard, the Warlord howled in wordless rage. The guard barely had time to realize that Gorbath was holding a sword before he fell to the ground, his head sailing across the throne room. Gorbath glared at the decapitated soldier and then flung his sword to the ground with a clatter. Then he stormed over to the wall and pounded his fist into it so hard that cracks ran up the side of the palace. The foundation seemed to quiver, much to Gorbath's delight.

Feeling better, he returned to the throne and shouted for another guard. A timid looking man entered and gulped nervously when he saw the remains of his predecessor. He carefully bowed very low to the Warlord.

"W-what do you wish, your Majesty?" he stuttered. The Warlord sneered at him.

"Bring the next captive." The guard bowed and hurriedly left.

A moment later, an old man hobbled into the throne room, escorted by one of the soldiers. He was wearing a strange hat that seemed strangely alive. The old man settled in front of the throne and closed his eyes. He snored. The hat sighed and blinked brightly at Gorbath.

"Well? Whaddaya want? You won't get much out of this one." The old man's eyes opened blearily.

"Will you be quiet?!" he grumbled. The Warlord's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Silence!" he ordered. "Where is the Goblin King?" At this, the old man suddenly brightened and peered closely at Gorbath.

"Oho!" he exclaimed. "So! You wish to be King of the Goblins." Gorbath sighed. Why were all of the subjects in this land so incompetent?

"Yes," he repeated as if talking to a small child. "I want to be King of the Goblins. So where is Jareth?" He spat the name like a curse. The old man continued to look at the Warlord alertly.

"Ah, yes. And where is the pendant of the Goblin King?" he asked. Gorbath growled.

"That's what I'm trying to find out, if you would just answer the question!" His voice rose as he spoke and the last bit was loud enough to shake the castle. The Warlord had rose from the throne again and was standing above the old man, glaring balefully at him.

The old man seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, he said, "You must learn to color outside of the lines if you want to be an artist." Gorbath turned away in frustration.

"Isn't there a single intelligent being in this entire kingdom?" he muttered. He waved his hand negligently at the guard. "Take him away. And don't bring any more. I can't handle this many idiots in one day." He massaged his head in annoyance. All he had learned was that Jareth had left the Underground and even that seemed impossible. How could someone just leave the Underground? Where else was there?

-

The door to the dungeon creaked open and many small faces blinked in the sudden light. A guard appeared, dragging an old man with an odd hat behind him. He pushed the man into the cell and slammed the door shut. There was the sound of a lock being turned and then footsteps receding as the man left.

"Well, that went well," the hat chirped. The old man seemed to have fallen asleep.

"What's happening?" a rough voice questioned. The hat twisted towards the voice to see Hoggle.

"He ain't got the pendant and he ain't got the king. He ain't too happy about neither!" Hoggle thought about this for a minute.

"Does he know where Jareth went?"

"Uh uh," the bird shook its head. "He just know he ain't here."

"Jaweth...gone?" A low voice rumbled. Hoggle patted Ludo's arm comfortingly.

"Don't you worry. I'm sure he'll be back. He probably just went to, uh...get reinforcements!" Ludo accepted this and lumbered back into the corner to sit down again but a few other worried faces were watching Hoggle from the shadows.

When they had been dragged out of the Labyrinth by the shadow warriors and thrown into the castle prison, everyone had immediately looked to Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus for guidance. They all knew that the trio had defied one king already. And they may not like Jareth much, but he was still better than the Warlord of Baccha.

"Alrights, this is what we're gonna do." Everyone gathered closer to hear Hoggle's plan. "No one says anything about Earth. No one says anything about Sarah. Most of all, no one mentions that Jareth probably left the Underground. Got it?" The fearful faces nodded.

"Good, now we just waits for Jareth to come back and set everything straight," Hoggle said confidently. He settled back against the wall near Ludo and closed his eyes. Others began to drift asleep as well. Suddenly, Hoggle bolted up again.

"What happened to Didymus?"

-

On the outskirts of the now-deserted Goblin City, a fox finally convinced his noble steed to stop running.

"Ambrosius!" he shrieked. His voice was a bit hoarse from all the yelling. As the shaggy dog slowed, Didymus swatted him on the head with his spear. "You're going the wrong way, Ambrosius!" The dog whimpered and Didymus frowned at him.

"We have to go back to King Gorbath, Ambrosius! He has demanded our services and we have yet to tell him of Lady Sarah. She may be able to help the king find the king...er, former king!" Didymus forced Ambrosius to turn around.

"Onward, my brave steed! For king and coun-tree!" His words ended in an unknightly shriek as his voice became more hoarse. Sir Didymus rode proudly back towards the castle, unaware that he was about to betray not only the true Goblin King, but his friend Sarah as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Somewhere, a bell was ringing. It was a good, old fashioned school bell, not one of the new, electronic ones that so many places had adapted. A door slammed open and hundreds of children poured out of the school. They rushed around the tall figure in their midst without noticing her, heading for school buses or waiting parents. Finally, after the rush of students had slowed, a boy with sandy brown hair and downcast eyes trudged out the door. He paid no attention to the other students and would have walked right past his sister is she hadn't said his name.

"Toby?" The boy jumped before seeing her. Sarah placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Are you okay, Toby? What's wrong?" With eyes still lowered, Toby faced his sister. For a moment, it seemed as if he was going to be stubborn but then his lower lip trembled and he threw himself into Sarah's arms. Kneeling down, she hugged him reassuringly. "What's wrong?" she repeated.

The boy gulped back a sob and quickly rubbed at his red eyes. He sniffled and wiped his nose on his shirt sleeve. Sarah grimaced but said nothing. Finally, he was calm enough to speak in a quavering voice.

"I was just playing with some friends," he sniffed, "and Mark wanted to be Luke Skywalker and James wanted to be Wolverine so I said I was gonna be the Goblin King. And then Mark said that there's no such thing as a Goblin King so I couldn't be him." Tears were again dripping down the boy's face. "And then I said that if the Goblin King wasn't real, then neither was Luke Skywalker or Wolverine and he was to real because you told me so." Sarah sighed inwardly. She had told Toby the tale of the Labyrinth as a bedtime story and no matter how evil she made Jareth seem, Toby still idolized the Goblin King.

Toby sniffed again. "And then they said they didn't wanna play with me anymore and they told everyone else not to play with me either." He paused for a minute. "But he IS real, Sarah, isn't he? He HAS to be real!"

"Oh, Toby," Sarah sighed. She had to tell him about Jareth before they got home. She didn't want him to walk in and blurt out the Goblin King's entire past. There was no way of knowing how he would react once he did remember. She hugged Toby again and looked him straight in the eye.

"Of course he's real! Did you really think I made all those stories up?" The boy smiled a little and shook his head. "Good. Now, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" he asked eagerly, tears forgotten. Sarah leaned closer to him conspiratorily.

"How would you like to meet," she paused and her brother fidgeted in anticipation, "the real, live Goblin King?" Her brother's mouth fell open in astonishment as he stared at her. "But Toby," she continued before he could react, "something bad has happened. The Goblin King doesn't remember anything from the stories. So I want you to be really careful about what you say, okay? He's got to remember things on his own." Toby just nodded, his face still dazed. Sarah wasn't sure if his silence was good or not. At least he seemed to accept the news easily enough.

They walked home in silence. As they got closer to the house, Toby began to walk slower. Finally, he stopped and looked up at his sister worriedly.

"What do I call him?" he asked. Sarah smiled.

"Jareth."

"Jareth." He repeated the name quietly. "And what am I supposed to say to him? Can I ask him about goblins? Will he do magic tricks for me? What if-"

"Toby," Sarah interrupted firmly. "Remember what I said about something bad happening? Jareth doesn't know anything about goblins or magic tricks or anything from any of the stories. All he knows right now is his name and mine. So try not to bring up anything about his past, all right?" She smiled gently at her brother. Toby squirmed as he absorbed her speech.

"But what do I SAY?" he asked again, sounding extremely nervous for such a young child. Sarah bit her lip as she thought about it.

"Why don't you tell him about what you like to do for fun?" She didn't think Jareth would be very interested, but it was important to Toby. His face brightened as he listened to what she said.

"Yeah," he crowed in excitement, "I can tell him all about Star Wars and the X-Men and..." Sarah smiled in relief as they resumed walking and let Toby's chattering wash over her. Now, what would SHE say?

-

The shadows were chasing him. He could feel them, creeping silently behind him, unseen by living eyes. Somehow he knew they were there. He ran. He ran faster than he thought possible and still they followed. Something unutterably cold brushed his arm. Jumping to the side, he whirled and raised a hand to attack but there was nothing there. Just a child in striped pajamas crying.

He frowned in confusion and picked up the boy gently. The child stopped crying and blinked tearful eyes at him. It smiled and then burbled happily. Then the cheerful giggling became a croak and he saw the boy's face contort into an ugly grimace. The beast in his arms cackled maniacally. Thrusting it away in revulsion, he looked for a way out, a door, a tunnel, anything to get him away from the monster.

There was a strange light calling to him and he followed it unconsciously, wanting only to escape the horror he had just witnessed. The light seemed to tug at him, pulling him along. The closer he got to it, the faster it pulled him and he felt like he was tumbling into a bottomless pit.

-

With a gasp, Jareth came awake. His eyes darted around the room into every corner, looking for...shadows? But he was alone. He raised a hand to his forehead dizzily. The room he was in seemed strange to him but also vaguely familiar. He breathed deeply, trying to calm the fear racing through his mind. He found that he could stand and began to wander around the room, grateful to have something to distract him from his dreams.

Pictures on one wall caught his attention. One in particular of a young girl drew his eyes. He realized he was inches away from it but couldn't remember moving. A frown creased his face. What was so important about this picture? He thought carefully, trying to remember something, anything, about his past. For much of his life, there was nothing. But for the last few days...

"Sarah," he murmured in wonder. He remembered the girl's name and how she had healed him from a strange wound. Looking at other pictures, he saw a jolly looking man with a thin woman beside him. These he disregarded; they meant nothing to him. But pictures of a small boy struck a cord in his memory. He paused, trying to think through the hazy blur. There was something about a child, and perhaps a monster? And why was he thinking of crystal balls?

The sound of a door opening distracted him from his thoughts. Suddenly apprehensive, he moved around the corner so he could see who was coming. The girl, Sarah, was standing in the doorway. She looked a bit nervously and smiled a little when she saw he was awake, but it was not her that Jareth was watching. His eyes were riveted on the boy standing calmly beside her. The boy walked boldly up to Jareth and stuck out his hand.

"Hullo, Jareth," he said happily. "It's real nice to meet you." Jareth raised an eyebrow in surprise and caught a glimpse of an amused grin on Sarah's face before she raised a hand to cover the grin. He solemnly shook the boy's hand.

"It's nice to meet you...again...Toby."


	5. Chapter 5

Sarah pushed open the front door and stopped. Jareth was standing in the hall. Her eyes traveled quickly over his body. If she hadn't pulled the bolt from his leg with her own hands, she would never have believed he had been injured. His clothes and hair were as pristine as ever and Sarah wondered if that had happened instinctively or if he had truly remembered his magic.

She didn't notice Toby had moved until she heard her brother introducing himself.

"Hullo, Jareth. It's real nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out boldly to the Goblin King. Sarah quickly hid a grin behind her hand, surprised by Toby's casual acceptance of their guest. Jareth was equally startled but he recovered quickly.

"It's nice to meet you...again...Toby." Sarah gasped. Jareth frowned at the boy, who turned to glance at Sarah in confusion.

"I thought you said he didn't remember me!" he accused his sister. She was staring at Jareth with a strange expression, a worried frown playing across her features.

"You remember everything?" She asked Jareth in a strangled voice. Jareth's eyes narrowed as he watched her reaction.

"No," he said finally. "I...thought for a minute..." He shook his head in frustration, causing the blond wisps to sway gently. Sarah stepped forward and looked into his eyes. Yes, the shadows still haunted them. He didn't remember. She was partly relieved and partly disappointed. Confused by her emotions, she looked to her brother for help.

"Toby, remember what I said?" The boy nodded. He grabbed Jareth's hand and tugged him towards the sofa.

"Okay, Jareth," he said officiously, "I'm Sarah's brother, but I guess you kinda already knew that. So..." He paused in thought before brightening. "Have you ever played video games? They're the best!" He pulled the astonished king towards the television and plopped down on the floor. Confused, Jareth looked back at Sarah, trying to fathom what was going on.

She nodded encouragingly. "It's okay! You knew Toby in the past, so spending time with him might help your memory." She laughed at Jareth's comical expression.

"I seem to remember that these things were supposed to be bad for your mind, not the other way around," he murmured, finally submitting to Toby's pleas. Sarah leaned against the doorway and watched fondly as her brother instructed the Goblin King which controller button was the most useful and how to get that special bonus. Jareth was surprisingly good at manipulating the tiny buttons. Something to do with all that juggling he does? Sarah wondered.

She chuckled quietly as she moved into the kitchen. If someone had told her ten years, or even two days, ago that she would see Toby and Jareth sitting down together she would have never thought it possible. Yet now it seemed perfectly natural. She pulled a tub of ice cream out of the freezer, sitting down and eating absently.

Things were so different than they had been ten years ago. She had been a child then, frightened...no, terrified...of losing her brother to the evil Goblin King. And Toby had been too small to help her in any way. Now the children had grown up. Sarah was a young woman, capable of making her own way in the world and proud of her accomplishments and her brother was as much of a dreamer as she had been.

Had been. Sarah frowned to herself, taking another bite of ice cream. When had she stopped living in a world of fantasy? She hadn't even realized her dreams were gone until it was too late. She sighed as she reflected. Dreams belonged to the world of children, a world she had outgrown years ago.

And then there was Jareth. He was so...different now. She couldn't imagine the old Jareth, the Goblin King, sitting on the floor with a small boy and playing video games. She still couldn't entirely believe that he remembered nothing. What could possibly have been terrible enough to make him forget?

Laughter distracted her from her morose thoughts. She jumped slightly as Jareth trudged into the room wearing an expression of extreme patience. Toby was sitting on his shoulders, whooping in delight. Twirling her spoon idly in her fingers, Sarah couldn't help but grin.

"Aren't you a little old for piggyback rides, Toby?" The boy only laughed as he jumped to the floor. With a wince, Jareth lowered himself into a chair next to Sarah.

"That was not my idea of fun," he muttered to her as Toby began pulling open cupboards, looking for something to eat. Sarah grinned at his pained expression and was about to reply when Toby suddenly pounced on her.

"Sar-ah! Don't tell me you just ate all the ice cream! I thought you just bought that yesterday!" he whined. Startled, she looked at the tub before her and found that it was indeed empty. Now it was Jareth's turn to tease her. He raised an elegant eyebrow at the empty tub.

"My, my, Sarah. What was it you said about 'piggy' backs?" Toby began to giggle uncontrollably.

"What?" Sarah joked, brandishing her spoon at him. "Hey, you better be careful! I can do some real damage with this." Toby laughed even harder. Playing along, Jareth shrank away from Sarah and she rose, chasing him around the kitchen. Finally, she collapsed, wiping tears from her eyes. The whole scene was completely bizarre.

-

The whole scene was completely bizarre. Gorbath watched in a kind of awed stupor as the young woman chased the Goblin King around the room. A small boy watched and laughed. Finally, he turned away from his enchanted mirror to look at Sir Didymus.

"What in the world does he think he's doing?" he questioned aloud. Sir Didymus had also been watching the scene with curiosity.

"Well, your Majesty," he began in confusion, "methinks that the former king has decided that he no longer needs to remain here and has gone to be with his true love." It didn't really make sense to him. He knew Jareth loved Sarah, but how could Sarah ever care for such an evil man?

"Perhaps," Gorbath murmured, gesturing to his guards to return Didymus to the dungeon. The fox rode away proudly, expecting to be highly honored for his valuable contribution to his king. "But I think not." His gaze returned to the enchanted mirror.

"What are you playing at, Jareth? You should know better than to try to hide from me, but I at least thought that you had enough pride to fight for your kingdom. Perhaps I should seek you in the Earth place, then?" Just as Gorbath finally decided, a soldier rushed in.

"Your Majesty! The Labyrinth is crumbling!" The soldier fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Gorbath stared at him impassively.

"Yes, I know," he replied calmly. The soldier glanced up in surprise but the Warlord has already forgotten him. The fact that Jareth had escaped with the royal pendant was working to his advantage. Without its true ruler, the Labyrinth was collapsing, leaving an open path for his armies. He looked into the enchanted mirror one last time.

"You have chosen a perfect hiding place, your Majesty." He sneered at the pictures. "And when I have my armies here to support me, then I shall come for you. I hope you'll put up a better fight this time." The Warlord grinned blackly at the Goblin King's image.

"I will enjoy killing you very much."


	6. Chapter 6

A great castle stands at the center of a crumbling ruin. Like the remains of some ancient civilization, the Labyrinth has been worn away to nearly nothing. The impenetrable stone walls collapsed, the treacherous forest leveled, and the infamous Bog of Eternal Stench drained to a puddle. Only the castle remained, and that due to the efforts of one Gorbath of Baccha, Warlord of the Shadows and self-named King of the Goblins.

The creatures of the Labyrinth fared little better. Trapped in the castle dungeons, they were slowly but surely beginning to fade. Everything in the Underground was linked to the king by the powerful magic in his medallion. Without him to channel the magic, the land and creatures that depended on it for survival were dying.

After a week with no word from Jareth, the mood in the dungeons had slowly turned from hopeful to morose. Even Hoggle slid into despair after Sir Didymus's arrival. The fox was entirely convinced that Gorbath was the true king and would hear no word against him, even when several other's pointed out the fading magic.

In fact, there was probably only one satisfied person in the entire land, and that was Gorbath himself. His armies were finally arriving from Baccha and he was eagerly anticipating the confrontation with the Goblin King.

A trembling soldier entered the throne room and cowered before the towering Warlord.

"Well? What is it?" Gorbath demanded. The soldier jumped at the sound of his ruler's voice.

"Y-your M-majesty," he said in a voice that was barely a whisper, "t-the army has arrived. The g-general is waiting to see you." He finished in a rush and bowed his head quickly. The Warlord stepped down from the throne and approached the soldier, who swallowed nervously. Gorbath reached out and grabbed the soldier around the neck, lifting him with one hand. The soldier gasped, face turning an ugly shade of purple as he struggled for breath. Just before he passed out, Gorbath threw him to the ground. Ashe gasped for breath, he looked up at the Warlord in fear.

"One does not announce the arrival of my general in a whisper!" He snarled at the soldier. The man gaped at him and Gorbath growled and stomped back to the throne. "Send him in!" he commanded and the soldier clambered out the door in terror. A moment later he was replaced by a large, dignified-looking man who bowed solemnly.

"Aah, General Murgaport. Finally, someone with a brain!" Murgaport smirked at the Warlord.

"Yes, your Majesty. I understand you've been having some trouble with the, ah...former...Goblin King?" From any other man Gorbath would have taken it as an insult, but he merely smiled mockingly at his general.

"Yes, he seems to have abandoned his land and his people in favor of an Earth woman." The general raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"An Earth girl," he mused. "How...intriguing." Now it was Gorbath's turn to look surprised.

"So, you have heard of this Earth place. I should have known as much. Tell me, Murgaport, how long would it take you to seek out this coward for me?" The two men grinned slyly at each other as they began planning.

-

"Simon says spin in circles." Obediently, Toby began to twirl around, hands extended to keep his balance.

Jareth was lounging comfortably in a chair, elbows on the arm rests casually as he tried to stump the boy. Sarah wandered in from the kitchen and smirked at her mischievously. She eyed him suspiciously and then glanced at her brother. Toby was still spinning but he had slowed down and stumbled dizzily. Jareth smiled.

"Simon says tickle Sarah." Toby stopped spinning and looked around in confusion, trying to focus his eyes.

"Now wait a minute..." Sarah began but Toby jumped towards her with a gleeful laugh. She jumped away from him, trying to keep the coffee table between them. With a flying leap, Toby jumped over the table and nearly knocked her over. Laughing, she grabbed his wrists to keep him from tickling her. He twisted wildly, trying to get free.

"Jareth, help me! Get her from behind!" Without realizing it, Sarah had ended up with her back to the Goblin King. She let go of Toby with a gasp but before she could move, strong arms encircled her, effectively pinning her helplessly.

"Jareth!" she shrieked as Toby came after her again. Chuckling, Jareth released and she collapsed to the floor, trying to fend of her brother. Giggling Toby bounced up, allowing Sarah to catch her breath. Excited by this new game, he bounced around the room gleefully.

"See, Jareth? Isn't this more fun that turning people into goblins?" Time seemed to stop. Not realizing what he had said, Toby continued to race around the room. He didn't notice that Sarah and Jareth had both stopped laughing.

Sarah stared at Jareth fearfully. How could Toby have said that?! Things had been going so well. He couldn't remember now, he couldn't! Not when she was just starting to like him. In her panic, Sarah didn't even realize her own thoughts. She only watched Jareth worriedly.

He was staring at the joyful child, a thoughtful expression on his face. Something was wrong, Sarah knew, but she wasn't sure exactly what. She looked closely at Jareth's eyes. From her perspective on the floor, they still looked shadowed but she knew something had changed.

"Jareth?" she asked tentatively, rising slowly to her feet. His head jerked towards her as if he had forgotten she was there. She met his eyes and could see some new emotion hidden in their depths. "Are you okay?" She asked slowly.

His lips parted as if he was going to say something, but then he turned and strode quickly from the room. Sarah could only stand there, stunned. Finally calming down, Toby stared after him in confusion.

"What happened to the game?" he whined. Sarah rounded on him angrily.

"Toby! How could you say that? I told you I didn't want you to mention anything about goblins!" The boy gaped at his usually calm sister.

"What? I didn't do anything wrong! What did I say, Sarah?"

"See, Jareth? Isn't this more fun than turning people into goblins?" She repeated angrily. Toby's mouth dropped open in surprise and Sarah sighed in frustration.

"Sarah?" She turned at the fear in his voice. "What are we gonna do if he's really angry?" He looked so small and frightened that Sarah's anger vanished. She hugged her brother quickly and whispered in his ear.

"Toby, I want you to go up to the attic. Stay there until I come and get you, okay?" Toby nodded but his face was very pale.

"What if you're not there, Sarah?" he whispered back. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"I'll be there for you. I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

He sat alone, staring into the fire in the hearth. His unearthly face was emotionless, but his eyes were troubled. Shadows seemed to dance in them, chased by the light of magic. He was completely unaware of his surroundings, absorbed by the memories that tortured his soul.

One hand rose slowly to stroke the medallion on his chest.

From his vantage point in the goblin throne room, the Warlord jerked upright. He watched as Jareth held up the medallion. Gorbath grinned in anticipation. General Murgaport watched curiously as Gorbath's face creased in concentration. Murgaport turned his eyes back to the mirror in time to see the medallion flash in Jareth's hands.

"Yes," Gorbath hissed. "I can see you now." Murgaport looked at him in surprise. The Warlord's eyes were still closed. He snapped his fingers at Murgaport.

"Assemble the men. We're going to Earth." General Murgaport blinked in surprise but knew better than to question. As he marched quickly out of the room Gorbath roared after him, "and bring that stupid fox!" Murgaport nodded his assent as he left.

Gorbath chuckled to himself. "He deserves to see his king's downfall. After all, it was him who brought it about." He looked over at the mirror where Jareth was still staring at the fire, unaware that his location had been revealed when he tapped his magic through the pendant.

-

Sarah slid quietly into the room. Jareth's back was to her and she could see a fire in the fireplace. A fire? She shivered slightly. She knew there was no firewood in the house. Jareth had used magic, but had he done it consciously?

"Jareth?" Her voice was a whisper, all that she could manage through the tension in the room. She felt as if something was going to explode. Jareth didn't move though, and she wondered if he had heard her. She stepped forward quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened, but still didn't turn.

"Sarah," he said finally. His voice was rough with some emotion she couldn't identify. "You don't want me to remember my past do you?" She gasped quietly, but he didn't give her a chance to answer. He lifted a hand to his shoulder and covered her fingers with his palm. "Why don't you want me to remember, Sarah?"

Sarah felt as if she was frozen in place. Her mind felt numb as she struggled to answer Jareth's question. She swallowed and began speaking carefully.

"You...you're right," she admitted slowly. "We weren't...friends...in the past, Jareth. You were a lot different. I like you a lot better the way you are now, even if it's not really how you are." Sarah stopped in surprise. She hadn't really meant to say that much, but it felt so right to finally tell him how she felt. "You're fun to be around," she finished weakly.

"Yes, I'm sure I am. So much more fun now that I don't turn people into goblins." He suddenly whirled around, knocking Sarah's hand away. She backed away in surprise at the angry glare on his face. "And what exactly did you intend to do when I recovered my memory, Sarah? Or is that why you insisted I spend so much time with Toby?" She took another step back as he stomped towards her angrily. "Yes, make the evil Goblin King become friends with one of the children he hates and then-"

"So you DO remember!" Sarah interrupted suddenly. Jareth rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Yes, I do." With one hand, he gripped the pendant around his neck so tightly that his knuckles turned white. A pained expression crossed his face.

"Did it ever occur to you that there might be a reason why I showed up, half dead, at your door? Did you ever think that perhaps I came here because I had no choice and this was the only haven I could think of?" Sarah had backed all the way to the wall now and Jareth was standing only inches away, shouting in rage. She balled her fists in anger, interrupting him for the second time.

"Yes, I thought!" She screamed back at him, stunning him into silence. "And I was going to give you that haven at any price!" She caught his eyes with hers and held them. "Even if it meant you wouldn't remember me," she finished softly. His eyes flashed, and they stood staring at each other. Sarah noticed the old pain that seemed to reach his soul was back. She absently wondered what had caused such terrible suffering.

Jareth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he looked at her again his face was calm. "Sarah, I think-" But the Goblin King was interrupted yet again, this time by Toby. The boy burst into the room and ran hysterically for Sarah.

"Sarah!" He wailed. "There's...there's..." A resounding boom echoed from outside and shook the foundation of the house. Unbalanced by her crying brother, Sarah stumbled into Jareth. Instinctively he caught her in his arms, but when she looked up at his face it was focused on the far wall.

Sarah turned and stared in amazement as the wall seemed to expand, curving inwards as if a great weight was pushing on it. She heard Jareth curse but couldn't turn away from the strange wall.

And then it exploded.


	8. Chapter 8

He sat on a great black steed, his polished armor glimmering blackly in the night. His dark eyes were lit with the thirst for power and an evil shadow surrounded him, making even the starlight dim. The shadows were alive, dancing in a deadly circle around the Warlord.

At his side, a small figure sat gallantly upon a trembling dog. His armor was tattered and his helmet rusted, but he sat proudly beside the dark lord. He leveled his spear solemnly at the modern looking house across the street.

"There, your Majesty. There is the home of Lady Sarah."

He did not see the black grin that spread over the Warlord's face. Gorbath could see a fire burning inside the house and the distinctive silhouette of the vanished Goblin King before it. Another figure joined the man by the fire and the Warlord realized that he must now be seeing the Lady Sarah. He shifted eagerly in the saddle.

At his slightest movement, a shadow rose up beside him, solidifying into one of the fearsome Shadow Warriors.

"Your Majesty?" Gorbath nodded his head towards the house.

"He's there. I want him. Now." The warrior bowed as the Warlord continued. "Do whatever you must to capture him, and bring the others to me." Sir Didymus stared up at Gorbath as the warrior vanished.

"But your Majesty! Surely thou dost not have need of Lady Sarah and her brother! I thought that only the traitor would be held."

"Yes, of course," Gorbath said in a bored voice. He reached down and picked Didymus up by the scruff of his neck. "And sheltering the enemy is treason." Didymus gaped at him.

"But-"

"No buts, fox," the Warlord growled. "You have betrayed your king and you have betrayed all creatures living in the Labyrinth. What is one more betrayal?" Gorbath dropped the fox and spoke into the shadows.

"Go. Now." As one, the dancing shadows seemed to rise up and converge on the quiet house. The black horse stomped a foot, wanting to join the battle. Near his hoof, Didymus sneezed at the cloud of dust kicked up by the horse. Something had just gone terribly wrong, but he couldn't figure out exactly what. Bravely, he climbed back onto Ambrosius to see what would happen next.

-

A great explosion rocked the foundation of the house.

Coughing, Sarah realized she had been thrown backwards and attempted to stand, but there was something weighing her down. Eyes watering from the rising dust, she struggled against the thing.

"Help me!" she managed to croak. Gasping, she tried again to free herself, images of being pulled from the wreckage, lips blue with oxygen deprivation, floating through her head. Suddenly the air cleared and Sarah realized the object holding her down was Jareth.

"What?" she gasped, frantically wiping the dirt from her smarting eyes. The Goblin King had his back pressed against her, one hand curved around her shoulders protectively. In his other hand, he held a glowing orb. The light of the crystal extended for several feet, surrounded by a wall of debris. A shield, Sarah realized, he had made a shield to protect her. Looking around, she saw that the rest of the house was in shambles.

"No," she whispered. Without thinking, she pushed Jareth away from her and darted out of the circle. "Toby!" she shrieked.

"Sarah, wait!" She felt Jareth's hand on her arm but she shook him off impatiently. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her brother.

Sarah scrambled over the wall of broken boards and skidded down the other side. Stumbling at the bottom, she paused to look around, barely noticing that she was shivering from worry and shock.

"Toby!" she screamed, looking across the rubble at the flickering shadows. Her eyes darted from one to the next. The shadows...there was something strange about them. They seemed sinister, menacing somehow.

"Toby?" Sarah's voice quivered. Then Jareth was at her side, the crystal still in his hands. She edged closer to him uncertainly, whispering under her breath.

"Jareth," his eyes flitted quickly to her face as he scanned the destruction, "there's something over there. I...I think the shadows are laughing at me." She glanced quickly at him and saw that he was staring grimly at the strange shadows.

"Yes, I know," he murmured resignedly. "Stay behind me. There's going to be a battle."

"But Toby-" Sarah felt suddenly unsteady and she nearly collapsed before she could regain control of herself. Quickly she sat down on a broken table behind her. Jareth's eyes had never left the shadows, but she knew he was listening.

"We'll find Toby later, Sarah. Don't worry about him now. They're not looking for him." A harsh voice interrupted the Goblin King.

"That's right. We were looking for you, I believe." A great fireball lit the sky momentarily before plummeting directly for Sarah and Jareth. Sarah screamed and ducked as Jareth raised his hand, the light of the orb expanding.

A blinding flash exploded across the heavens, causing people across the country to pause and look to the sky, wondering if they had imagined the brilliant light.

The battle for the world of dreams had begun.


	9. Chapter 9

From his position across the street, Didymus had a clear view of the battle. He watched in horror as the Shadow Warriors swirled around the house like a demonic horde. They darted in and out of the bushes, finally congesting against one wall. Under their combined weight, the wall slowly began to fold. With agonizing slowness, it curved inwards.

Finally growing impatient, Gorbath raised his hand and barked a command. A ball of ugly black light appeared in his hand and he hurled it towards the house. The shadows scattered as the ball flew towards them. There was a loud explosion and a flash of sickly yellow light. When he could see again, Didymus saw that the house had been nearly completely destroyed.

"My Lady! Sarah!" he gasped, urging Ambrosius forward. Before the dog could take two steps, a snort from the great black warhorse had him trembling on his belly. "Ambrosius, come on!" Didymus urged. The Warlord chuckled as he started towards the house, leaving the fox arguing with his terrified steed.

"Toby!" Didymus looked up at the sound to see Sarah stumbling over a hill of debris. He sighed with relief. Then his eyes narrowed as he saw the Shadow Warriors lurking only a few feet from where she stood.

"Ambrosius, get up! We have to save the Lady Sarah from those fiends!" At that moment, Jareth emerged from the other side of the hill Sarah had climbed over. He was holding a glowing crystal in his hands and Didymus watched in surprise as Sarah edged closer to him, away from the shadows.

Confused, he wondered if he should help Sarah or stop Jareth. Or was Jareth still the king? The Warlord had managed to thoroughly confuse him. Didymus decided it might be best if he stayed put until he could figure things out.

Suddenly, an immense fireball appeared in the sky. It hovered for a moment before plunging directly towards Sarah and Jareth. Frozen in awe, Didymus watched the thing plummet faster and faster. Sarah screamed and ducked, but Jareth stared calmly at the inferno. At the last possible instant. He raised the crystal and a pure white light exploded from it. It slammed into the fireball and past it, obliterating the thing with a blinding flash.

For several minutes, there was silence as everyone struggled to focus their eyes again in the darkness.

-

The Warlord blinked his eyes slowly. His Shadow Warriors had retreated from the intense light and now swirled around the outskirts of the foundation angrily. The Goblin King had fallen to his knees. Gorbath himself was stunned by the massive amounts of power that had been used.

"Jareth!" Sarah screamed. She rushed to his side just in time to catch him as he slumped over. Once again he had used his magic to shield her, this time at his own expense. "Please be okay," she murmured to him. Jareth drew an agonized breath and opened his eyes to look at her.

"I'll be fine," he said quietly. "It's very difficult to use magic here and I have to pull it from the Underground. I've never used so much at once..." His voice trailed off  
and he seemed to be unconscious but a moment later he groaned and struggled to his feet. Sarah drew back from the look in his eyes, even though it was not directed at her. They seemed to blaze with a fiery rage.

"Gorbath!" he demanded. "My kingdom will never belong to you. But if you insist on a battle, it will be in a place of my choosing." He bowed his head for a moment. There was a swirl of light and color and when he looked up again they were standing in the ruined Labyrinth. He looked around sadly.

The Labyrinth had been his masterpiece, his perfect plan to use against foolish humans. And now it was merely a crumbling ruin. But, he thought looking at Sarah, perhaps it was time to make peace with the demons of his past. He had forgotten what joy felt like but his amnesia had shown him how to live again. He glared at the Warlord and felt the amulet on his chest heat with magical energy.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you. Such a pity..."

-

Sarah jumped when she realized she was back in the Labyrinth. She gaped at the destruction. She had always remembered the great maze as strong and impenetrable, but the decaying walls around her would not have stopped anyone from making their way to the castle.

In the daylight, the Shadow Warriors seemed less menacing and she finally got a better look at the dark lord. He was sitting on a large black warhorse, wearing armor darker than night. His face was an emotionless mask.

He was completely unsurprised by Jareth's actions. It was what he had expected. Gorbath negligently gestured to his army. The shadows immediately began to circle to Goblin King and the young woman.

"Have it your way, Jareth. But I think in the end, you will bow to me!" He cackled as he hurled a rope of black lightning towards the king. Jareth reacted instantly, shoving Sarah behind him and dissipating the blast. Before he could retaliate, the Warlord launched another magical attack, and another, and another.

While Jareth's concentration was entirely focused on defending himself from magic, the Shadow Warriors began drawing closer and closer. Sarah, observing all of this, pushed aside her fear and looked around for a weapon. She found a large stick just as the first of the warriors drew near to king. As it reached for him, she jumped up with her best amazon yell and swung her club at it.

To her surprise, it slid through the shadow easily, slicing it neatly in half. The Shadow Warrior screamed and vanished. These were the Warlord's chosen fighters? Jareth whirled at the commotion, his eyes widening as he saw what was happening. He dodged a flaming arrow from Gorbath and quickly spoke to Sarah.

"You're not from this world. They have no power of you." She started at his choice of words, wondering if that was also why he had no power over HER. Jareth didn't notice her surprise, so intent was he on the battle. "All you have to do is touch them to destroy them. But be careful. I haven't gone through all of this to lose you now."

Then he turned back to the fight, leaving Sarah to stare at him in amazement. Had he even realized what he'd just said? The words echoed through her mind.

"I haven't gone through all of this to lose you know..."

With a curious lightness in her heart, Sarah returned to slapping at the shadows.

-

Toby crawled out from under a pile of rubble and stared at the sight before him with complete astonishment. He had been sitting in the living room hoping that Sarah wasn't too angry with him when the house had seemed to explode. Now he could see Jareth twisting to avoide bolts of black lightning, hands glowing with unearthly energy as he dissipate the attacks. Sarah stood beside him holding a large stick. She was swinging it wildly at shadows that were creeping around her and Jareth.

Without thinking, Toby stood up and yelled, "Sarah!" His sister didn't hear him, but someone else did.

Toby gasped as something grabbed him around the neck and hauled him into the air. Squirming to the right, he caught a glimpse of a massive man in black armor. Toby struggled to breath as the man lifted him into the air, still grasping him by the neck.

Gorbath grinned blackly as he recognized the boy. He gestured to the Shadow Warriors and they quickly drew away from Jareth and Sarah. Surprised by the retreat, Sarah stumbled to the ground, kneeling as she tried to catch her breath. Similarly, the magical attacks that Jareth had been blocking magically stopped. The Goblin King was sweating with exertion but he stood proudly as he faced the Warlord.

"Jareth! I have something you might want," Gorbath taunted. "Look! It's one of your human pets!" Sarah jumped up with a cry and Jareth growled as he stepped forward.

"Leave him, Gorbath!" He took another step, cautiously approaching the Warlord. If he could only get close enough to free Toby. "Have you fallen so far that you would kill even a worthless child?" Slowly, he was edging forward.

Gorbath stared at Jareth silently, face emotionless. "I told you before," he said quietly, "I am death and decay and all that is evil. I will do whatever I need to conquer this land, be it killing a child..." He suddenly raised a fist.

"...or killing a woman!" An instant too late, Jareth realized the Warlord's plan. He whirled, shouting for Sarah to move, diving back towards her as fast as he could. Sarah shrieked as the blast hit her and she vanished, reappearing at Gorbath's side. Shocked, she looked around.

"Toby!" She exclaimed, seeing her brother only a few feet away. Before she could move, the Warlord waved his hand and chains of black magic wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides and causing her to stumble. Reaching out, Gorbath caught her and pulled her to his side.

"No!" Jareth shouted, enraged. He was helpless while the Warlord had Toby and Sarah as hostages.

"So!" The Warlord laughed. "What will you do now, almighty Goblin King? You can either surrender to me, or you can attack and kill these humans as well. Your choice." Gorbath grinned evilly.

Jareth stared at Gorbath, disgust plainly written on his face. His eyes closed in pain and exhaustion and his head lowered. The magical aura around him slowly faded to nothing.

"No!" Sarah shrieked. "Don't do this Jareth! You can't let him win! There's no way he'll ever-" The Warlord slapped her across the face.

"Shut up," he sneered. "You belong to me now." The Shadow Warriors swirled around Jareth, spiriting him away to the depths of the castle. Sarah stared after them fearfully.

"What are you going to do with him?" she demanded. The Warlord chuckled.

"So bold..." he murmured, smiling at Sarah. She turned away in revulsion. After a moment, Gorbath continued. "He will be kept in his own dungeons until he either names me ruler or dies of...natural causes...so that I may harness the power of the Underground." Gorbath gestured and the three of them were transported to the throne room.

Left behind and completely forgotten, Sir Didymus peered around the deserted battleground.

"Come on, Ambrosius. There is still time to set this right. We must get back to the others and save Lady Sarah." For once not trembling, Ambrosius quickly began the trek back to the center of the Labyrinth.


	10. Chapter 10

They sat huddled on the floor, piled together not for warmth or comfort, but because that was how it was. No one cared anymore. As time had passed, days turned to weeks, the defiance had slowly seeped out of the creatures of the Labyrinth.

Hoggle stared morosely at the floor. Things had gone well at first. Everyone had been willing to rally against the Warlord, screaming protests and banging on the door and walls at all hours. Their energy had fled quickly once the guards had refused to feed the prisoners until they were silent. Even after that he had managed to keep everyone's spirits up.

Then they overheard the guards talking about Didymus. Hoggle sighed. If Jareth ever returned, it was apparent that he would never rule as he once had. Gorbath had too firm a hold on the land and the people. After that, everyone had stopped fighting. Ludo was slumped in the middle of the floor, various creatures leaning against him. He couldn't even summon rocks anymore, although pebbles would rattle every once in a while when he tried. If he tried. He didn't seem very interested in rocks anymore.

The was loud laughter outside the cell. A few creatures stirred, realizing the guards might be bringing dinner. Most remained unmoving. Surprisingly, the guards didn't stop at Hoggle's cell but moved on to the next one. The was a thud and the sound of chains crashing to the ground. The door slammed and the guards left. Disappointed, the prisoners began drifting off to sleep again.

Hoggle looked at the barred window curiously. The guards had put someone in that cell, he was sure of it. With a groan, he climbed to his feet. He ignored the stares of the others and stumbled to the window. The other cell was pitch black and Hoggle squinted into the darkness.

"Who's there?" he asked the darkness, sure that there must be someone there. There was silence. Just as Hoggle was about to return to his place in the corner, something in the shadows moved.

"Oh, it's you, Higgle," a voice rasped. Hoggle's jaw dropped. He turned quickly and crashed into a goblin that had been looking over his shoulder.

"Well? Who is it?" the goblin demanded in a screechy voice. Hoggle pushed it aside.

"Never mind. Where's that candle?" He stumped over to the small light and grabbed the candlestick. Most of the creatures were awake and watching him now. Hoggle held the candle up to the window. In the flickering light, he could make out a figure, tattered clothes, wild hair...

"Yer...Yer Majesty!" Hoggle gasped. There was a collective cry of surprise from behind him as others began to clamber to their feet, wondering if their king had finally come to save them. Jareth laughed bitterly at the commotion.

"So surprised to see me? Did you think that I was dead? Surely you noticed that your new king has no control over the magic here? Or did that completely slip your tiny minds?" With one pale hand, Jareth caught the chain of his medallion and pulled it into the light. "My kingdom is destroyed, I am a prisoner in my own dungeon, and Sarah and Toby's lives are in that bastard's hands," he growled angrily.

"Sarah?" A voice above Hoggle rumbled. Looking up, he saw Ludo looming over him, staring at the dark window in confusion.

"The Warlord has Sarah?" Hoggle asked, but Jareth didn't reply. He was staring fixedly at his medallion. As Hoggle watched the medallion began to glow brightly and Jareth whispered something. Hoggle strained to make out the word.

"Sarah," Jareth repeated quietly, his voice sounding dry and raspy. Then the medallion flickered and Jareth lapsed into unconsciousness.

"We have to help her!" Hoggle told the others. "But first, we have to get out of this dungeon." Ludo nodded solemnly.

"Ludo call rocks?" He questioned.

"Right then, and they won't know what we're doing." The Wise Man's hat, as usual, added it's opinion.

"Yer right," Hoggle admitted, "but how else are we gonna-"

"Leave that to me, noble sirs!" Everyone started at the voice from outside the door. There was the sound of a lock being turned and then the door swung open to reveal Sir Didymus sitting proudly on Ambrosius, his spear in one hand and the dungeon keys in the other.

"Quickly now!" Didymus gestured. "I hath defeated the guard with the aid of my noble steed, but we must hurry if we are to save the Lady Sarah and her brother Sir Toby." Hoggle and the others stared at him distrustfully.

"Er...and I know that I have been fooled by this false king. Let us restore our true ruler, King Jareth, to the throne!" He added. A few of the goblins shifted impatiently on their feet and then Hoggle grinned at the nervous fox.

"Well, then, let's get to it!" Hoggle declared, starting towards the door. A roar of approval stopped him in his tracks as the entire remaining population of the Labyrinth rushed passed him excitedly. With a yelp, Didymus jumped out of the way just in time.

"Wait a minute!" Hoggle yelled, but it took a ferocious roar from Ludo to get everyone to calm down. They milled around uncertainly outside of the cell until Ludo lifted Hoggle up so everyone could see him.

"Listen," he began, "we have to face him together. That's the only way we're gonna win. So jes be quiet and hope they didn't already hear ya!" A few of the goblins muttered to themselves, but most managed to quiet down quite a bit.

"All right then, Sir Hoggle, shall we proceed?" Didymus asked, bowing gallantly to Hoggle. Hoggle nodded to him.

"Yeah, but we gotta bring Jareth, too." Didymus frowned in confusion but no one argued. Hoggle had gotten them through this far and they were willing to follow him the rest of the way.

A few minutes later, Ludo was carrying the unconscious Goblin King as the entire troop marched towards the throne room.


	11. Chapter 11

"Where is he?"

The Warlord stroked his chin thoughtfully as he leered at Sarah. He apparently decided to ignore her question and after a moment Sarah folded her arms angrily and glared at the wall. She wished she could kick something, but the only other person in the throne room was Gorbath and that, as enticing as it sounded, was probably a bad idea. She glared at the Warlord and imagined slamming her foot into his sly face. Gorbath grinned suddenly.

"Now, Lady Sarah, I can not have you wearing those rags in my palace." He gestured idly towards her.

"It's not your palace, you-" Sarah gasped as she realized she was now wearing a simple white dress instead of her comfortable jeans and sweater. "What?" she asked in confusion. Gorbath stepped of the dais and walked towards her.

"Come now, Sarah! You are going to be my queen." Sarah backed away from the Warlord hastily.

"No way! There is no way I would ever be anything to you, let along your queen! Never!" she shouted angrily, forgetting her fear. The Warlord's face darkened.

"Sarah," he warned. "Don't defy me." The words echoed through Sarah's head. She sniffed and glowered disdainfully at Gorbath.

"You have no power over me."

"Oh, don't I?" Gorbath waved his hand and a child appeared at his feet.

"Toby!" Sarah cried. The boy looked around in bewilderment, his eyes falling on Sarah.

"Sarah!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Before either of them had moved, the Warlord grabbed Toby's arm, pulling him roughly backwards.

"No!" Sarah cried. The Warlord smirked at her.

"You wouldn't dare defy my, would you Sarah?" She stared mutely at her brother, tears gathering in her eyes. Gorbath laughed harshly when he noticed. "How perfect! You will obey me to protect your brother, and Jareth will obey me to protect you. The power of this land will be mine by nightfall!" He quieted suddenly and glared at Sarah.

"I will only ask once more." He said quietly. "Will you be my queen?"

Toby's eyes were very wide and Sarah couldn't seem to look away from them. Gorbath's words felt like blows and she felt frozen in place by them. Gorbath's eyes narrowed.

"So be it," he growled. He tightened his grip on the boy. Toby gasped.

"CHARGE!" Sarah jumped in surprise and Gorbath spun, startled.

Nothing could have surprised him more than seeing a small fox, riding a dog and leveling a lance, charging towards him. Gorbath raised a hand to summon his magic, but it was too late. Didymus's spear rammed into the Warlord, knocking him backwards. As he fell he lost his grip on Toby, who jumped away from the tumbling giant and ran to his sister.

Sarah wrapped her arms around him with a glad sigh. She stared at Gorbath in shock. Had Sir Didymus really just defeated the great Warlord who had nearly conquered the Labyrinth? A big shape hurtled towards her.

"Sarah!" Ludo roared gathering Sarah and Toby into a great Ludo-sized hug. Looking around, she spotted Hoggle, the Wise Man, and a few others she remembered from her time in the Labyrinth. Then she saw the crumpled form they were guarding.

"Jareth?" Sarah gasped. Separating herself from Toby and Ludo, she rushed across the room to him. He lay so still she wandered if he was still alive. She touched his face lightly and he opened his eyes.

"Sarah," he whispered weakly.

"It's alright. We're safe now," she said, smiling gently at him. Someone chuckled behind her. Whirling, she saw the Warlord had stumbled to his feet, blood dripping from the bottom of his black breastplate.

"Safe? I think not," he mused. "This kingdom will be mine!" He staggered, reaching for his sword.

"Sarah..." The word was barely a whisper. Turning back to Jareth, she saw that he was holding up his pendant in one hand. She glanced at it and the met his eyes worriedly.

"Touch it," he whispered. Sarah heard the sound of a sword being drawn behind her.

"No!" the Warlord roared.

"Do it," Jareth rasped. "Take my magic. I can't fight him anymore. I'm too exhausted." Sarah heard heavy feet pounding towards her. She looked calmly into Jareth's eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of him." Her hand closed over the pendant. It vanished with a sparkle, reappearing around Sarah's neck. With a sigh, Jareth's eyes closed.

"My Lady!" Sir Didymus yelled.

"Look out, Sarah!" Toby cried.

Sarah spun around and there was a blinding flash of light.


	12. Chapter 12

"STOP!" Sarah bellowed, in a voice that hardly sounded like her own.

And everything stopped.

The Warlord was stopped only a foot away from Sarah, his sword raised over his head. Sarah's hand was extended towards him and a glowing crystal floated on her palm. Jareth's pendant was around her neck. Toby gaped at her in awe.

Gorbath had a similar reaction. He stared at the royal medallion in pure astonishment.

"What? The power is yours?" His shocked expression became one of gloating triumph. "That pathetic fool. He at least stood a decent chance against me. You, my dear," he grinned slyly at Sarah, "are going to give me that pretty necklace of yours." He lowered his sword and reached for her.

"No," Sarah commanded. The Warlord's smile became slightly strained. "You were going to kill Toby and force me to marry you," she said in a voice colder than ice. "You probably would have killed Jareth and my friends after you had what you wanted." Gorbath's smile faltered for an instant.

"Come, my dear, do you think me so cruel? I was only trying to save your brother from the Goblin King. You know what would have happened if I had let Jareth remain in control, don't you?" Sarah froze. The thought had occurred to her the instant Jareth had remembered who he was. Gorbath, seeing her hesitation, pressed forward.

"All he thinks about is turning more children into goblins, punishing more innocents for his own tortured life. Any new ruler would show more mercy than him." He took another step towards Sarah. "Am I not merciful, Sarah?"

Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and realized what was happening.

"You, Gorbath?" She laughed, a harsh, unfeeling laugh. "You are nothing. Do you hear me? You are NOTHING!" Her last words were a battle cry and the air writhed with the power of the Labyrinth.

The Warlord had only an instant to gawk at the massive amounts of energy Sarah was channeling towards him before the magic engulfed him. He shrieked, the pathetic shriek of a demon caught in heavenly fire, and vanished into the light. When everyone could see again, Gorbath was gone and Sarah was glowing with the magic of the Labyrinth.

"Nothing..." she whispered.

Outside, a cry of alarm was heard. It was followed by other voices yelling in fear and terror. The glow around Sarah faded and she looked around with worried eyes.

"Oh, no! What's going on?" she said aloud. The screams died out suddenly, as if everyone outside of the throne room had vanished as quickly as their Warlord. Someone coughed behind her.

"The Warlord's army was made of Shadow Warriors," Jareth rasped. "Shadows can't survive without their leader." Sarah knelt quickly beside him and he smiled wanly at her. "You just destroyed every single invader."

Sarah blushed at this compliments and looked down. Her gaze fell on the medallion and she held it up to him with a smile.

"I guess you'll want this back now," she said, holding it out to him. Jareth only shook his head weakly.

"No, Sarah. I named you. There can be only one ruler of this kingdom." He looked at her with such as sad expression that Sarah felt tears gather in her eyes. Then he sighed and looked away. "Take care of my Labyrinth," he whispered, his eyes closing, his body going limp.

"What? Jareth, what does that mean?" She shook his shoulder lightly. He didn't move. He wasn't even breathing, Sarah realized in terror. Her eyes darted around the throne room. "Hoggle, what's going on?" she asked her old friend frantically. Hoggle was staring at her with a strange expression.

"Yer Majesty," he mumbled. Sarah gaped at him.

"What?" she asked. "No, that's not right. Jareth just let me borrow his magic..." Hoggle took a shuffling step forward and pointed at the medallion around Sarah's neck.

"That pendant is the symbol of royal power, Sarah. He named you our new ruler."

"No," Sarah whispered sadly, stroking Jareth's hair. "He had no right," she sobbed. "How could he do that?" Hoggle laid a hand on her arm lightly.

"He did it to save you, Sarah. Jareth knew he couldn't beat that Warlord, but he didn't want you to get hurt either." Hoggle seemed as surprised by his words as Sarah was. She stared morosely at Jareth for a minute.

"Then I name him ruler again," she said simply. Magic swirled around the room, around Jareth and Sarah. The medallion pulsed on her chest. Looking down at it, Sarah gasped. A brilliant light was twinkling around the pendant. Voices seemed to echo around the room.

"Your Majesty, it does not work that way," the voices chimed. "Jareth named a new ruler and his life is forfeit."

"What? No!" Sarah cried. Toby moved closer to his sister.

"Sarah, who are you talking to?" he asked in confusion, but Sarah was oblivious.

"There has to be a way to save him!" she shouted to the swirling magic, unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. The voices chattered in indecision for a moment before speaking in unison again.

"Yes," they chimed. "There is a way." Power seemed to flow through Sarah's body like water. All around her, she could hear voices echoing.

"Will you be my queen?" They were Gorbath's words.

"You will be my queen..." Sarah shivered at the haunting quality of the echo.

"I can't do that," she whispered. The magic swirled around her comfortingly.

"No, not that," the voices agreed.

"This."


	13. Chapter 13

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."

"I can't live within you."

"Falling, falling, falling in love..."

Something was wrong.

He was alive, and that meant something had gone wrong. Worse, he could feel the royal medallion resting on his chest. But how was that possible? He clearly remembered seeing it around Sarah's neck and she could not have returned it to him without a price.

Jareth realized he was lying on the cold stone floor, but his head was pillowed by something soft. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see Sarah smiling down at him. She wore the royal medallion around her neck. Jareth's hand raised, grasping his own pendant.

"How..." he asked. He could feel the magic of the Labyrinth coursing through his body. Sarah shifted slightly and he realized she had been holding his head in her lap. She helped him into a sitting position. Sarah looked away for a moment and then met his eyes with a smile.

"For my love is as strong as yours," she began. Jareth's breath caught in his throat. "And my kingdom the same."

Slow realization passed over the Goblin King and he looked into Sarah's face, only inches away from his.

"You would rule beside me...as my queen?" he asked in wonder at her unpredicted move. Sarah raised a hand to stroke his cheek and he stared at her in amazement. He had nearly given up hope after she had defeated him, and now she was telling him he had won?

The next thing he knew, Sarah leaned forward, kissing him softly. For a moment, Jareth was in complete and total shock. Then the Goblin King pulled his queen into his arms, kissing her with a passion he had forgotten existed. And Sarah wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace that he thought he would never feel.

The moment could have lasted forever, but Toby came running into the throne room, followed by an amazing number of goblins.

"Sarah, look! All the goblins came back! And the maze is all different, too!" he exclaimed excitedly, not noticing Sarah's blush as she helped Jareth to his feet. Then what Toby had said registered in her mind.

"Different?" she asked. "What do you mean different, Toby?" Her brother looked up at her with shining eyes.

"There's flowers everywhere!" the boy said, in the hushed tones of one completely awed. He grabbed Sarah's hand and tugged her to the window. Sarah sighed in appreciation of the sight before her.

The Labyrinth. It was an amazing thing from any viewpoint. And now the deep green hedges sported hundreds of tiny red blossoms. The great stone walls of the outer Labyrinth were covered in ivy, giving them a beautiful majestic quality. And straight through the middle of it all was a path leading directly to the castle.

"A path?" Sarah mused. Behind her, Jareth began to laugh. She turned in surprise. She had never heard him laugh like that, so full of life and joy. Even when he had lost his memory, he had always been burdened by something. Now he pulled her into his embrace. Sarah laughed with him, his happiness contagious.

"Jareth?" she asked in amusement. He nodded towards Toby and kissed her forehead.

"Never fear for your brother, Sarah," he whispered into her ear. He held up his pendant and closed his eyes in concentration. Light flared from everywhere at once. Through the soothing warmth, Sarah heard Jareth's voice.

"I release the Earth from its curse. There will be no more children taken. I no longer envy them their happiness."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone wondered, "Am I Not Merciful?" is actually a track on the Gladiator soundtrack. This entire story was written to go along with that music. "Am I Not Merciful?" is track 14 and is the part where Jareth surrenders to Gorbath and is imprisoned in his own dungeon with Hoggle and the others.


End file.
